More Coca-Cola plant bottle packaging

The bioplastic bottle battle continues as Coca-Cola announced on Monday that it has converted its Dasani PET (polyethylene terephthalate) water bottles and its Odwalla single-serving fruit juice HDPE (high density polyethylene) bottles to its recyclable PlantBottle packaging.

Like its flagship Coke soda Plantbottle packaging, the Dasani PET bottles are now made up to 30% plant-based materials (mostly coming from the ethylene glycol part of PET). The Odwalla HDPE bottle on the other hand will made from up 100% plant-based plastic since polyethylene nowadays can be made from 100% sugarcane-based ethanol (think of Braskem for example).

According to Coca-Cola, its PlantBottle packaging is estimated to have eliminated the equivalent of 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or three million gallons of gasoline used to produce PET plastic bottles. Like PepsiCo, Coca-Cola’s ultimate long-term goal is to turn waste into a resource for a 100% renewable-based bottle that is fully recyclable.

“Several approaches to a PET package made entirely from plants have been successfully demonstrated in laboratory testing. We’re working to advance this breakthrough science to ensure it is commercially viable,” said Scott Vitters, General Manager, PlantBottle Packaging Platform, The Coca-Cola Company. “PlantBottle packaging means only good things for everybody. We welcome others in the industry joining us in advancing the science behind packaging made from plants.”